


Coffee or Tea?

by linnydefensesquad



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Accidental Bonding, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Autumn, Awkward Flirting, Awkwardness, Coffee Shops, F/F, Falling In Love, Femslash, First Meetings, Fluff, Meet-Cute, Multiple Pairings, Nervousness, Slow Build, Tea, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, but non linny pairings are minor, jounalist ginny, linny - Freeform, luna being cute
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-16
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-11-01 09:28:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10919034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/linnydefensesquad/pseuds/linnydefensesquad
Summary: As a world renowned journalist, Ginny has far too much on her plate to seek out a relationship. Little does she know, a relationship is coming to her, in the form of an adorable bohemian tea barista named Luna. But after all, anything can happen at The Leaky Cauldron Cafe.





	1. Chapter 1

Ginevra M. Weasley, prominent International New York Times journalist, threw back the last few gulps of her fourth latte. It was a little bitter, but at the moment, so was she.

She had faced tight deadlines before, many times in fact, but this was ridiculous. Her colleague and frenemy, Cho Chang, had become seriously ill before completing her style piece on upcoming autumn trends in the UK (Hint: Witchy boho chic), leaving Ginny to scramble up a story before the midnight due date. Was it probably workplace sexism that landed this piece in Ginny’s lap, given that she was a _sports journalist?_ Without a doubt, but she would have to save her complaints until after the crisis had been averted.

Not for the first time that afternoon, whispy and melodic humming drifted through The Leaky Cauldron Cafe, leaving the few customers with a slightly dazed but peaceful expression. The melody was lovely in a strange way and slightly haunting. Ginny had never heard it before, but… it was almost familiar….

 _No._ If she kept letting herself get distracted by the dreamy blonde behind the tea counter, she would never make the deadline. And by dreamy, Ginny didn’t simply mean that she was attractive (although heaven knows she was), she was more referring to the dreamlike, mythical aura that followed the girl like a shadow.

Decisively turning back towards her laptop, Ginny glared at the words on the screen and the frustrating way they were coming out. She didn't have much written and what she did have sounded clumsy and unprofessional. Tapping her nails angrily against the smooth surface of the wooden table, she read her last sentence again and again, trying to figure out what was wrong with it.

A flash of blonde pushed its way into her peripheral vision. Looking over reluctantly, she watched as the dreamy girl brought a clear pot of herbal tea to an elderly lady at the other end of the cafe. The dried herbs and flowers swayed gracefully inside the teapot, and the girl, just as gracefully, poured the woman’s tea into an earthy clay cup. With a flourish of her hand, she added a sprig of something green to the woman’s cup, and with a smile, drifted back to her counter.

The girl was a new hire, which Ginny knew because she had been to the cafe at least once a day for the last three years. The Leaky Cauldron Cafe was her office more often then her actual office, which was stuffy and bursting with the sounds of phones ringing and angry conversations. But because she was a regular, she knew that the new hire was brought on to work the cafe's latest addition: the tea counter. Ginny had to admit, it looked and smelled wonderful, but tea just didn’t pack the punch that she needed. She wasn’t a tea person.

The girl began to look up and Ginny frantically swiveled back around so she wouldn't be caught staring.

 _Why_ was this girl so entrancing? Why couldn’t she focus while in the same room as her misty grey eyes. Not to mention the way her long multicolored shawl swayed when she walked, or danced, which she was prone to do. Come to think of it, her style was very similar to what Ginny was supposed to be writing about. But Ginny suspected that the blonde had been modeling the style long before the fashion gurus decided it was on trend.

A clinking to her left caught her attention, and she turned to find Hannah Abbot, the cafe owner, setting down a fresh latte and collecting the empty cup with a warm smile.

“So how’s the piece coming along?” Hannah asked with a sarcastic smile.

“Swimmingly,” Ginny grumbled, casting a dirty look at her laptop. “I know Cho didn’t choose to get sick, but it still feels a bit spiteful.”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, just imagine the hell Hermione will raise once she hears they made you cover the style section.”

“The girl sure does love fighting for gender equality.” Ginny chuckled at the prospect. Hermione was the head journalist of the politics section and she was well known for her fiery sense of justice.

“That she does. Oh! So what do you think of Luna?” Hannah asked leaning in and lowering her voice.

“Luna…?”

“The new tea girl. She’s a little different, but I feel like her whole aesthetic goes well with ours. What do you think of her?”

 _Luna. That's a very nice name_ , Ginny thought. _It fits her_. “She seems nice enough and I can tell she cares a lot about her work.”

“She certainly does. She and Neville have been geeking out over the new herb garden, and it’s honestly very cute.” Hannah’s face lit up as she spoke about her husband, which Ginny couldn’t help but envy. Work didn’t leave much time for relationships.

"Maybe I should get her help on this piece, she seems like she gets fashion a lot more than I do.“ Ginny joked, laughing at the idea.

“Huh, that actually might be a good idea. Luna!” She called over in the direction of the tea counter.

“No, no, it was a joke, I was joking!” Ginny hastily whispered, suddenly feeling very nervous.

But it was too late. Luna made her way over to them at a pace somewhere between a skip and a meander with a curious sparkle in her eye that made something in Ginny’s stomach feel fluttery.

“Hannah, do you know, something about your aura today is positively glowing with joy and… hmm, what is it? Possibility. Yes, that’s it.” Luna said as Ginny sat frozen, enraptured by her lilting, sing-song voice.

Ginny barely heard Hannah reply. Up close Luna was even more beautiful. The dim silvery light coming in from the window was playing dazzling games with her hair, making it sparkle. The long, wavy strands cascaded haphazardly down her shoulders like a gust of wind had just tussled it into place. Her face was long and slender, but soft and rounded at the edges. Her eyes were large and widely alert, catching everything, even, Ginny suspected, things that weren't physically present

“….so I guess Neville and I are having a baby!” Hannah concluded with an excited giggle.

“Oh!” Ginny exclaimed, pulled back into reality.

“YAY!” Luna exclaimed, throwing her arms all the way up into the air and then around Hannah in a tight hug. “I’m so happy, I thought you two would be amazing parents from the moment I met you! This will be so much fun!”

“I’m really happy for you, Hannah.” Ginny said, standing to hug her friend.

Suddenly, a gasp rang out behind her.

Ginny turned around to find herself face to face with Luna, peering deeply into her eyes. Ginny was captivated instantly.

Without a hint of hesitation, Luna leaned forward and brushed her fingers down the stunned ginger's bright hair. Her breath caught, her mouth hung slightly ajar, and every word she knew vanished from her mind. All that existed in that moment was the mythical girl, with her eternal eyes and wild hair, and the slight calming pressure of her fingers, running delicately down her hair.

“You're a wildfire.” Luna said, still gazing deeply into her eyes.

“I-er, well,” Ginny stammered desperately, but the journalist could not form a sentence.

“You’re stunning,” Luna continued, and then, as if as an afterthought, “I hope you don’t mind my saying so. I’ve been told I can be intense. Personally, I just think the rest of the world is too bottled up.”

Ginny collected herself as best she could, while Luna casually pulled her hands away. “No, er, I don’t mind. I like honest people, you always know where you stand with them.”

Luna smiled like Ginny had just given her a gift. “Precisely!”

“Well,” Hannah interrupted, looking back and forth between them. “Ginny here is a journalist and she’s having some trouble with a piece.”

Luna looked down at the laptop on the table excitedly, like it would start spilling out secrets. “You know, I’ve always wanted to be a journalist. So many mysteries to unravel.”

“This piece is about style, which isn't exactly Ginny’s strong suit, and your personal style fits the description pretty well. Think you can help?” Hannah asked.

“I would love too!” Luna said excitedly, pulling a chair out and sitting down without any further prompting. She stared at the laptop expectantly as though she had forgotten they were there.

Hannah smiled at Ginny knowingly but she pretended to not see as she took a seat. Her shoulder brushed against Luna's and the unplanned contact flooded her with goosebumps.

“I suppose…we’ll get started then.” Ginny said, turning to Luna. Luna smiled back and the fluttering in Ginny's stomach grew stronger.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recommended listening: Bloom by The Paper Kites

"Why are you angry?"

"What? I'm not." Ginny, replied in surprise.

"You're angry at the _words_." Luna explained, leaning in meaningfully.

She was right. Ginny cast an angry glare at the laptop in front of her. Cho had gotten sick and dropped this article in her lap at the last minute with nothing but a few pictures to work with. _What a procrastinator,_ Ginny thought to herself.

"I'm usually pretty good under pressure, but this is a style piece and I'm out of my depth. Everything I know about fashion can be condensed into one sentence: The shirt goes on the top and the pants go on the bottom. After that, who knows. Some of those new dresses are really confusing."

"Very true," Luna nodded solemnly. "I think that fashion designers make their clothes unfunctional on purpose. The fashion industry is all part of a conspiracy, you know."

Ginny couldn't help but smile at her eccentric new friend. Listening to Luna almost made her problems slip out of her mind entirely, until she caught sight of the wall clock behind Luna's head. 

"Oh, this is bad. I can't believe it's almost seven already! How am I gonna get this out by midnight?" Ginny said, starting to breathe faster and faster.

Just as the panic was sinking it's dark claws into her heart, a small, delicate hand slipped into hers, squeezing lightly.

Ginny looked up in surprise and found Luna's face, much closer to her's then she had realized, but far enough away for her to study the depths of her impossibly wise eyes. Luna smiled comfortingly, just a small smile that played around the corners of her lips, where dimples decorated her cheeks. _That is very cute..._ Ginny found herself thinking.

"You have exactly what you need to write this article, and I guarantee that it will be spectacular." Luna told her earnestly. "You just need to get into the right mindset, that's all."

Very aware of Luna's hand, still holding tightly to her's, Ginny took a take breath to clear the nerves, which were mostly caused by Luna's close proximity, at this point. "Okay, how do I get into the right mindset?"

"Easily! Step one: Look outside." Luna nodded at her expectantly until she turned and looked out the large window that showed the busy urban street that housed the cafe. 

People walked by, shopping at the artisan boutiques and snacking on treats from the street venders. A few of them held umbrellas over their heads to protect themselves from the rain, but most seemed to embrace the slow autumn drizzle.

"Luna, what exactly am I supposed to be looking at?" Ginny asked, evaluating the street with confusion.

Luna sighed teasingly. "You business types, never stopping to smell the rain."

"I think the phrase is, 'stop to smell the roses,' Ginny said, smiling at her out of the corner of her eye.

"Not today," She countered simply. "Look at how lovely the rain is. Autumn rain is the most pleasant rain of all. It's a mood setter. Look how it casts a grey tint over the world making the warm autumn leaves stand out like fire. See how cozy the shops look in this weather? And warm drinks are so much better on drizzly days."

A warm comforting feeling spread across Ginny as Luna's words danced around their little table, making everything better. "You're right, it's wonderful."

Luna grinned at her, glad that she was understood. "It is, yes. And look! Watch the raindrops fall. When they hit the street they shatter into little diamonds before melting in with their sisters."

"So raindrops are female?" Ginny asked, stifling a giggle.

"Well, of course." Luna answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh, sure, of course."

They looked at each other for a silent moment, smiling and appreciating the connection between them that Ginny could feel growing stronger somewhere deep in her chest. 

"See?" Luna said proudly. "You're already in a much better mindset to write this. There's only one more step now."

"What's that?" Ginny inquired while trying to stuff down the feelings that were much too prominent.

"We need to get rid of that," Luna pointed to the half drank latte on the table. "And I'll make you a proper drink."

"Oh, thank you but I'm not really much of a tea person."

"I know, but you will be." Luna said knowingly as she collected the coffee cup and walked away before Ginny could protest further.

Ginny laughed under her breath as she turned to watch Luna swishing away towards the kitchen. _Wow, she has a nice- No. Gotta focus. She's probably straight anyway._

The door swung open, bringing with it a gust of crisp air that smelled of firewood and rain, and in that gust came Cedric Diggory, toting his guitar case and his adorably ruffled self.

"Hey, Cedric, I didn't know you were playing tonight."

"Oh, hey, Gin! I wasn't scheduled to but I'm in the mood, ya know?" He said, smiling his adorable puppy dog smile that made all the other girls' hearts melt. He had never been Ginny's type but she still appreciated his happy nature and kind personality.

"No complaints from me," Ginny said as he set up in the small corner stage that the cafe almost exclusively let him use. 

There was something truly special about the way Cedric played, and his voice was clear and gentle, adding the missing ingredient that the cozy cafe needed. Ginny had heard him play many times before, but each time it felt like stumbling upon a secret gift that would stay with her all night. 

Cedric began to strum gently and Hannah popped out of the kitchen to see, not at all surprised, but happy to see him. Neville quietly joined his wife's side, wearing overalls that were covered with dirt from the garden. He wrapped an arm lovingly around her waste as they listened and Ginny thought for the millionth time that their relationship was so beautiful. She wanted that.

Looking over at the tea counter, she accidentally met Luna's eyes, just for a moment, but it was long enough for Ginny's heart to ache in a way that it hadn't in a very long time.

A buzzing in her pocket brought her out of her daze and she pulled out her phone to see Harry's picture shinning up at her. _What could he want?_

"Hello?" She answered in a quiet voice as to not disrupt Cedric's playing.

"Hi Ginny...I'm sorry about this, but-er-Cho insisted that I call you." The discomfort in his tone was obvious.

"Really? That's surprising, I thought she still enforcing a silence code." Ginny said giving a humorless laugh. Talking to her ex boyfriend was incredibly strenuous.

"Well, she says she'd call you herself, but," He started to whisper quickly under his breath. "I don't think she wants you to hear her when she sounds this bad."

"What was that?" Cho rang out in the distance.

"Nothing babe!" Harry replied. "Anyway, she wants me to tell you that the picture of the boots needs to come after the shawls and the hats should be featured last."

"Wow, she's micromanaging me even on her sick day from miles away." Ginny said, annoyed at them both.

"I know...but she says she really appreciates you doing this for her." He responded gently.

"No, she didn't."

"No...she didn't. But I appreciate it." 

Ginny sighed, trying to release all of the negative energy that this conversation was giving her. "Thanks, Harry. I've got to go." She hung up before she could hear his reply.

She didn't have romantic feelings for Harry anymore, but she wished it was easier to be his friend. Cho definitely wasn't right for him, she took too much and Harry was too giving, but she couldn't exactly tell him that. 

"Here you go, sweetie." Came Luna's voice like a helping hand in a dark ocean as she set down one of the earthy clay cups before her. Ginny tried not to put any meaning behind the pet name, but still, it replayed over and over in her mind.

She sat down beside her and Ginny marveled at how the soft light of the cafe in the evening turned Luna's hair into a pleasant yellow. 

Cedric's clear voice filled the cafe as he sang, _"In the morning when I wake,"_

"The tea is lemon balm and chamomile, which will keep you calm and remove any tension." Luna told her proudly.

_"and the sun is coming through,"_

Ginny took a long sip and couldn't help but laugh, "I like it, you were right. It's very nice."

_"oh, you fill my lungs with sweetness,"_

"I told you," Luna said, happy that her work was well received. " _Now_ your in the right mindset."

_"and you fill my head with you,"_

"You think so? I'm ready to do this?" Ginny asked, but she had the strangest feeling that her words went much deeper than just an article.

_"can I be close to you?"_

"Definitely, as long as you have me here."

_"can I be close to you?"_


End file.
